Jeff Beukeboom

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Jeff Beukeboom

Jeff Beukeboom (b. March 28, 1965 in Ajax, Ontario) was a NHL defenseman. He is a cousin of NHL player Joe Nieuwendyk, as well a brother of former minor-leaguers John and Brian Beukeboom.

He played junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (1982-1985). After being selected in the 1st round (19th overall) of the 1983 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, he played in juniors for two more years before joining the Oilers. He won three Stanley Cups there, and was known as a hard-hitting defenseman.

He was traded with Mark Messier to the New York Rangers for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk on October 4, 1991. At 6'5" 230lbs, he quickly established himself as a fan favorite and an anchor of the defense with his thundering bodychecks and willingness to protect his teammates, through fighting if necessary. He played on the top defensive pairing with Brian Leetch, and was an alternate captain. His steady stay-at-home play allowed Leetch to lead the rush and kept opposing players out of the goal crease. He led the team in penalty minutes three times (1992-93, 93-94, 95-96) and was on four Stanley Cup winning teams (1987, 1988, 1990, 1994). He was also known for his philanthrophy, including Ice Hockey in Harlem. He won the team Crumb Bum Award, given for service to local youngsters (1996).

Due to his physical play, Beukeboom suffered multiple concussions. The most devastating came as a result of a sucker punch by Matt Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings in November 1998. Johnson received a 12-game suspension for intent to injure. While Beukeboom returned after a few games off, his style of play and history of concussions left him predisposed to another concussion, which he suffered on a minor collision in February 1999. Afterwards, Beukeboom was left with recurrent headaches, memory loss, nausea, and mental fogginess that lasted for months. He was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, and ordered to never play hockey again. He officially retired in July 1999 with a total of 1890 NHL penalty minutes in 804 games played, and is currently 2nd all-time on the Rangers penalty minutes list. Even after retiring, he continued to suffer post-concussion symptoms for almost two years before finally recovering.

He returned to hockey as an assistant coach for the Toronto Roadrunners (AHL) for the 2003-2004 season. In 2005, he became President and part-owner of the Lindsay Muskies of the Ontario Provincial Junior "A" Hockey League.